UPDATE: Giant Valley’s win no surprise to Lesmore Smith
The pre-race hype for the Governor’s Cup surrounded My Pal Shawn of Tortola and St Moose of St Croix, however, they had to yield to the powerful front running of Giant Valley, who defeated St Moose by a length and My Pal Shawn finishing fourth after an issue with the gate saw the horse getting off to a late start.
Call Daddy was third.
“I know as longs as he got up there that was it. The race was exactly how I had it planned, to let him go when he went and just stay up there,” Owner and Trainer of Giant Valley, Lesmore Smith told Virgin Islands News Online.
He further said the plan was to get ahead of St Moose and let him chase. Regarding My pal Shawn, Mr Smith said it was unfortunate what happened at the starting gate.
“Giant Valley was in good shape and I know St Moose would have had to run really hard to catch him.”
Mr Smith also said the win by Giant Valley reminded him of his past champion horse Good Prospecting.
“The crowd wasn’t expecting Giant Valley to win. They weren’t looking out for him, just like they didn’t for Good Prospecting.”
Good Prospecting was twice winner of the Governor’s Cup.
The feature race capped a successful day for Smith and Priority Racing Stables as Bellamy Chief won race 4- The Enrique “Ricky” Ashby Trophy- for C Class Horses over 6 furlongs, and Crazy Laura was pipped on the line by Scripture N’ Verse in The Administrator – Bonita Classic, which was a race for mares and fillies contested over 1 mile.
Top Honours for Honors
Meanwhile, there was a third victory for Tortola when Honors of Family Affairs Stables won the Boyzie Benjamin Cup- a race for Open horses contested over 1 mile & 1/16 for a purse of $7,000.00.
Some 12 horses from Tortola competed in the 2016 Carnival Races.
HORSE RACE RESULTS – CARNIVAL FRIDAY APRIL 29, 2016
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RACE#1 |
RACE#5 |
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NAME OF RACE: THE CARDOW CUP |
NAME OF RACE: THE ADMINISTRATOR – BONITA CLASSIC |
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DISTANCE: 1 MILE |
DISTANCE: 1 MILE |
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CLASS: D, E & NATIVES |
CLASS: MARES & FILLIES |
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PURSE: $5,800.00 |
PURSE: $8,500.00 PLUS ADDED MONIES |
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GATE POSITION & NAME OF HORSES |
GATE POSITION & NAME OF HORSES |
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1 CITY SPLENDOR |
1 FAIR COMMAND |
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2 LA NINA W |
2 TOP CLASS CITIZEN (STX) (DEBUT) |
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3 WATTA GIG (STX) |
3 BITTERSWEET DREAMS (TOR) |
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4 SWIGGLE |
4 SCRIPTURE N’ VERSE |
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5 RANA B (STX) |
5 CRAZY LAURA (TOR) DEBUT |
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6 WINDWORTHY |
6 |
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ORDER OF FINISH: 1 3 4 6 2 5 ORDER OF FINISH: 4 5 2 1 3 |
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WINNING OWNER: BROTHERS STABLE |
WINNING OWNER: POWER MOVE STABLES |
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WINNING TRAINER: L. NILES |
WINNING TRAINER: WAYNE CROOKE |
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WINNING JOCKEY: |
WINNING JOCKEY: AARON GRYDER |
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WINNING TIME: 140.4 |
WINNING TIME: 1:40.4 |
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RACE#2 |
RACE#6 |
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NAME OF RACE: THE CLINTON PHIPPS CLASSIC |
NAME OF RACE: BOYZIE BENJAMIN CUP |
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DISTANCE: 1 MILE & 70 YARDS |
DISTANCE: 1 MILE & 1/16 |
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CLASS: D |
CLASS: OPEN |
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PURSE: $6,000.00 |
PURSE: $10,000.00 |
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GATE POSITION & NAME OF HORSES |
GATE POSITION & NAME OF HORSES |
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1 EL INDULTADO |
1 EXPLORING (TOR) (DEBUT) |
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2 NOBLE FOREVER |
2 GARABATO |
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3 YES BY ERIC (TOR) (DEBUT) |
3 PUMPED UP KICS |
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4 GUS IS TUF |
4 HONORS (TOR) (DEBUT) |
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5 ATORRANTE (TOR) (DEBUT) |
5 SIMON SEZ RUN (STX) |
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6 EL HOMBRE GRANDE |
6 HOW’S A WINNER |
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ORDER OF FINISH: 2 5 3 6 4 1 |
ORDER OF FINISH: 4 5 2 3 6 1 |
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WINNING OWNER: |
WINNING OWNER: FAMILY AFFAIR |
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WINNING TRAINER: |
WINNING TRAINER: ALEX LAKE |
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WINNING JOCKEY: |
WINNING JOCKEY: WINSTON HURST Jr. |
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WINNING TIME: |
WINNING TIME: 1:43.3 |
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RACE#3 |
RACE#7 |
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NAME OF RACE: THE WARREN “TOBAGO” ESTRADA TROPHY |
NAME OF RACE: THE GOVERNOR’S CUP |
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DISTANCE: 1MILE 1/16 |
DISTANCE: 1MILE & 70 YARDS |
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CLASS: C |
CLASS: A |
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PURSE: $6,500.00 |
PURSE: $20.000.00 PLUS ADDED MONIES |
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GATE POSITION & NAME OF HORSES |
GATE POSITION & NAME OF HORSES |
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1 BRASS NOTE |
1 CALL DADDY (DEBUT) |
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2 PERFECT SUNDAY |
2 ST. MOOSE (STX) |
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3 CENTER GOLD |
3 TENANGO (DEBUT) |
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4 UNGUIDED MISSILE |
4 MY PAL SHAWN (TOR) |
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5 BAR MAGIC |
5 GIANT VALLEY (TOR) |
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6 THESTARVINGARTIST |
6 |
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ORDER OF FINISH: 1 2 3 4 (#5 DNF) |
ORDER OF FINISH: 5 2 1 4 3 |
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WINNING OWNER: C. SERRANO |
WINNING OWNER: TOP PRIORITY STABLES |
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WINNING TRAINER: G. STEVENS |
WINNING TRAINER: LESMORE SMITH |
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WINNING JOCKEY: JOSE HERNANDEZ |
WINNING JOCKEY: DAVID ROSARIO |
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WINNING TIME: 1:43.3 |
WINNING TIME: 141.2 |
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RACE#4 |
RACE#8 |
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NAME OF RACE: THE ENRIQUE “RICKY” ASHBY TROPHY |
NAME OF RACE: THE ALFREDO “ CUCHITO” LIMA, JR TROPHY |
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DISTANCE: 6 FURLONGS |
DISTANCE: 1 MILE |
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CLASS: OPEN |
CLASS: B |
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PURSE: $7,500.00 PLUS ADDED MONIES |
PURSE: $7,000.00 |
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GATE POSITION & NAME OF HORSES |
GATE POSITION & NAME OF HORSES |
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1 STARSHIP TITAN (TOR) (DEBUT) |
1 WROL UP (TOR)(DEBUT) |
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2 UNTIE THE KNOT (DEBUT) |
2 BIG MEOW (DEBUT) SCRATCH |
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3 BELLAMY CHIEF (TOR) (DEBUT) |
3 GO PANCHO GO |
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4 APOLLO SKY (TOR) |
4 UPTOWN ANTHEM |
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5 MACHO COACH (STX) (DEBUT) SCRATCH |
5 I’M SENSATIONAL |
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6 LIL BART (STX) (DEBUT)SCRATCH |
6 EXPLOSIVE IMAGE (DEBUT) |
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ORDER OF FINISH: 3 1 4 2 |
ORDER OF FINISH: 5 3 1 4 6 |
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WINNING OWNER: TOP PRIORITY STABLES |
WINNING OWNER: NO LIMITED STABLES |
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WINNING TRAINER: LESMORE SMITH |
WINNING TRAINER: I. CALWOOD |
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WINNING JOCKEY: DAVID ROSARIO |
WINNING JOCKEY: VICTOR LEBRON |
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WINNING TIME: 1:10.2 |
WINNING TIME: 1:38.3 |
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See previous story posted April 29, 2016
Tortola’s Giant Valley shocks the field! Wins Governor’s Cup 2016
- @ Carnival Races in St Thomas, USVI
Five years after capturing the Governor’s Cup for the Virgin Islands with Good Prospecting in the Carnival Races in St Thomas, USVI, Tortola horse owner Lesmore Smith did it again today April 29, 2016 with Giant Valley.
At the Clinton E. Phipps Race Track in St Thomas, USVI, Lesmore Smith’s horse beat out the likes of St Moose, Tenango, My Pal Shawn and Call Daddy to capture the race won in 2015 by the late great Doughmaker of L&B Racing Stables of Tortola.
The pre-race hype of the rematch between St Moose of St Croix and My Pal Shawn of Tortola failed to live up to expectations as Giant Valley put in a giant of a performance. St Moose had to settle for second.
It was a splendid day for Smith who earlier in the day won with Bellamy Chief in one of the races in the lower classes.
We will be bringing a more detailed report of all of the results of today’s Carnival races.
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27 Responses to “UPDATE: Giant Valley’s win no surprise to Lesmore Smith”
they is only a very few stables that does not use steroids, its sad here in the vi and I mean the whole vi, that's why I will never purchase a horse over $10,000.00 cause when one goes over that limit and u have guys with cheap horses $5000.00 and $8000.00 etc. with steroids boost running the hell out of the expensive horses its not fare to the owners, we have a lot of work down here in the vi to do, and drug testing should be the first step for change cause its not fare to the horses!
Playing "fair", not playing "fare". Fare is when you have to pay for something...